The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for transporting a medical accessory in unison with a patient transport device such as a gurney, hospital bed or wheelchair.
Medical treatment and therapy often requires the use of several medical instruments and therapeutic devices which must be maintained in close proximity to the patient and to each other due, in part, to the limitations imposed by the length of electronic lead wires and plastic tubing. Further, if the patient is to receive uninterrupted treatment, this close proximity must be maintained not only when the patient is settled in a hospital ward, but also during transportation to and from the ward. Satisfaction of this latter requirement is especially acute for patients being moved between emergency or operating rooms and other hospital areas.
In order to satisfy the above requirements, many of the devices used for medical treatment and therapy have been mounted on intravenous infusion, or I.V., stands. For those devices where mounting on an I.V. stand has been impossible or impractical, mobility has often been achieved by placing wheels or treads directly on the equipment. Although these modifications make it possible to move almost any medical equipment as an autonomous unit, the inability to quickly and safely move a patient and their associated devices as a contiguous unit continues to make patient transportation difficult and potentially hazardous.
Several techniques are currently utilized for moving patients and their related patient care devices. These methods typically comprise: using an additional nurse, orderly, or other assistant to move the patient care device, such as an I.V. stand or other freestanding accessory, as an independent unit; rigidly connecting the stand or accessory to the transport device; or resting patient care devices directly on the patient transport device. These techniques, however, are problematic in that they rely on the presence of additional personnel or result in damaged or disorganized equipment. In addition, the weight of such devices (as much as 150 pounds) may render manual manipulation quite difficult.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide an apparatus which conveniently and safely couples a patient care apparatus with a patient transport device. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for easily linking and transporting a patient care apparatus together with a patient transport device such as a bed or gurney. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus to facilitate the rapid and safe transport of a patient and any necessary patient care devices. These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention and the drawings.